hey guys, well today was the first time in 2 1/2 years my 4x4 was used, i looked after and there was fluid on the ground and guess what , GEAR OIL!!!...ugghhh had that weird smell you know what im talking about!! i looked underneath and there wasnt any noticeable leaks at the diff, but the end of my transfer case where the driveshaft starts, was wet, the ground was soaked soo i couldnt get down under it and check if it was snow melting from the undercarriage or the leak. it was coming from the middle of the truck some place sooo either the diff or the TC , if its the output seal of the 242 transfer case, is that hard to change ?

i put plastic under it to let it sit overnight and check for leaks , seemed to stop though when it was in 2WD

also on the 242 where is the check plug and, is it on the engine side or the gas tank side of the transfer cae ??

any help would be great ??
anyone know what it is that possibley caused the leak ? i didnt beat on it, i babied it in 4WH in the snow. this is the first time i have seen this leak and im just curious what could have caused it,

any help at all guys would be great
its a 1993 grand cherokee limited with the 4.0L and the 242

hmmmmmmmmmmm .....well its not my transfer case then, but it was almost the color of engine oil, a bit darker, and it reaked of gear oil!!!!!..i dont know what was going on with it but its the first time the 4x4 has been used in a long time ( maybe 2 years) and im wondering if it mesed something up!! ? the fluid is definitley gear oil and i can tell by the smell, SAME smell as what i smelt when checking the rear diff fluid, now its coming from the middle of the truck but the seal on the front diff cover seems to be ok, is it possibley i wrecked a seal in teh front diff by useing the 4x4 in this snowstorm ?? maybe where the driveshaft goes into the front diff ??? ?

it was the color of engine oil, a bit darker and it reaked of gear oil, front of the truck , in the middle area ?? what am i looking at , cracked cover gasket or more likely a bad seal at the yoke for the front diff where the driveshaft goes ? now i wish i didnt use the 4x4

but on a pklus side with the working 4 wheel drive the jeep is AMAZING in the snow
any ideas ?

Your probably talking about the extension housing seal on the transfer case, leaks from there will run down the rear drive shaft.

i dont think my transfer case is leaking cause its not dripping or even making the driveshaft wet, just looks moist around that area, you cant even set a color to it ....i do wanna check the fluid to make sure its ok though , where is the check hole for the 242 located and what size/type of tool do i need, sorry im a newbie just trying to keep my jeep happy

thats honeslty the problem , i cant pinpoint where its leaking, i guess its not the TC or any part of it cause it doesnt drip gear oil, soo i guess its my front diff, ill take a look in the morning and see if i see anythign

see thats what mine looks like on the back except mine are more in line with each other, 1 is higher but then the other one is like directly below it , thats not the point, point is, i dont have a 1 3/16 wrench to take it off.....guess i should go to the store eh

It is possible that someone put in gear oil. Not the end of the world if they did.

You can use channel locks to get the drain/fill plug off. Agreed that a socket would be best. A smart practice is to take the top plug (fill plug) off first. Make sure that one comes off first before you drain the case

well guys i checked and its defniitley not leaking, only thing on the plastic sheet was some oil from my leaking rear main, but i can deal with putting in a quart every 2 months lol......ill keep a eye on it though